FIR registered against managing committee of city’s premier school for land misuse

A case has been registered against the managing committee of one of the oldest and premier schools in Ludhiana for misusing the land allotted to the institution on concessional rates by the Improvement Trust.

The FIR has been registered under Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the managing committee of New Higher Secondary School, Civil Lines, Ludhiana, at Police Division 5 on a complaint filed by the Improvement Trust, here.

Action follows allegations by alumni assn

The action follows a complaint levelling serious allegations by the New High School Alumni Association, led by Bharti Enterprises vice-chairman Rakesh Bharti Mittal and Avon Cycles Group owner Onkar Singh Pahwa.

The then Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney had on August 5 last ordered a magisterial probe into the case after Rajya Sabha MP from Ludhiana Sanjeev Arora had brought the matter to her notice.

Arora, while forwarding a representation received from the school’s alumni association, had written to the DC on August 1 last that it has been brought to his attention by the New High School Alumni Association, headed by its chief patrons Rakesh Bharti Mittal (Bharti Enterprises) and Onkar Singh Pahwa (Avon Cycles Group), that the reputation and operational integrity of the school (Civil Lines and Sarabha Nagar), once a prime institution of the state, has significantly declined under the current management committee.

“There are serious allegations that the committee is misusing school properties for personal commercial gain, which is detrimentally affecting the school’s primary objective of providing quality education,” he had said.

However, the school’s managing committee had refuted the allegations and had termed them “false and baseless”.

Established in 1938, the school, which has two separate wings for boys and girls, was one of the most sought after institutions in Ludhiana. Top businessmen, bureaucrats and educationists were among the alumni of the school.

According to the information, the Improvement Trust had filed a complaint with the Commissioner of Police, who marked it to the SHO, Police Division 5, following which an FIR has been registered against the school managing committee.

The FIR stated that a land measuring 4.71 acre (1.59 acre and 3.12 acre) was allotted by the Improvement Trust, Ludhiana, for running the school at subsidised rates. “However, the present school management, while going against conditions of the allotment, divided the site of the school in various parts and illegally transferred the land to other persons,” the complaint alleged while stating the land was subdivided and used for commercial purposes.

As per the FIR, different persons were given possession of the land on exorbitant rents after transferring the same. “Tampering/ cutting was found in the sale deed done in favour of the school by the Improvement Trust, Ludhiana,” the FIR stated while adding that a case had been registered against the school’s managing committee.

The New High School Alumni Association, in its representation to the MP, on July 16 last, had mentioned that the school, with two campuses at Civil Lines and Sarabha Nagar, was the most sought after school in Ludhiana from 1938 to early 1990s till the time it was run under an able management committee. “Both the school wings achieved great milestones under their previous management. So was the status of their campuses that getting admission here was considered an achievement,” they had recalled, adding that top businessmen, officers and educationists of Ludhiana and elsewhere were products of the school.

They had alleged that under the present managing committee, the school’s standard started deteriorating with both wings becoming almost defunct due to what they alleged as incompetent management committee.

“They are using the school properties as personal properties with commercial interests rather than growth of the schools to impart education,” the association had further alleged while demanding a probe into the affairs of the school society for restoring the lost glory of the institution.

The matter was also raised during the second grand reunion function of the New High School held under the banner of the alumni association in September last. The issue was raised among others by the association president Rajesh Garg and in response Arora had assured his fulsome support to the association members.

Alumni welcome action

Meanwhile, Onkar Singh Pahwa (Avon Cycles Group owner) and the New High School Alumni Association president Rajesh Garg have welcomed registration of an FIR. They have thanked MP Arora on whose recommendation the FIR has been registered.

They said they only wanted the school’s old glory to be restored and it should start functioning in a smooth and better manner. While Pahwa demanded complete justice in the matter, Garg said school alumni were always ready to extend their cooperation to the government and the administration as well in the matter.

Institution’s prestige at stake: RS MP

“It is a serious matter where the prestige of a premier institution of Ludhiana is at stake. We will not let anybody destroy or misuse any institution and ensure their proper functioning,” said Sanjeev Arora, RS MP.